Hosea 10:5-6

5 The inhabitants of Samaria will fear For the ¹calf of ²Beth-aven. Indeed, its people will mourn for it, And its ³idolatrous priests will cry out over it, Over its ⁴glory, since it has departed from it.

6 The thing itself will be carried to ⁵Assyria As tribute to ⁶King Jareb; Ephraim will be ⁷seized with shame And Israel will be ashamed of its ⁸own counsel.

Hosea 10:5-6 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO HOSEA 10

This chapter is of the same argument with the former, and others before that; setting forth the sins of the ten tribes, and threatening them with the judgments of God for them; and exhorting them to repentance, and works of righteousness. They are charged with unfruitfulness and ingratitude; increasing in idolatry, as they increased in temporal good things, Ho 10:1; with a divided heart, and with irreverence of God, and their king; and with false swearing, covenant breaking, and injustice, Ho 10:2-4; and are threatened with a removal of their king, and with the destruction of their idols, and places of idolatry, which should cause fear in the common people, and mourning among the priests, Ho 10:1,5-8. It is observed, that their sin had been of long continuance, though the Lord had been kind and good unto them, in chastising them in love, giving them good laws, sending his prophets to exhort them to repentance and reformation, but all in vain, Ho 10:9-13; wherefore they are threatened with the spoiling of their fortresses, the destruction of the people, and the cutting off of their king, Ho 10:14,15.

Cross References

• 1. Hosea 8:5, 6
• 2. Hosea 4:15; Hosea 5:8
• 3. 2 Kings 23:5
• 4. Hosea 9:11
• 5. Hosea 11:5
• 6. Hosea 5:13
• 7. Hosea 4:7
• 8. Isaiah 30:3; Jeremiah 7:24

Footnotes

• [a]. So with some ancient versions; Heb "calves"
• [b]. Or who "used to rejoice over"
• [c]. Or "the avenging king" or "the great king"
• [d]. Lit "receive shame"